


Homecoming

by Merfilly



Series: Slip In Time Pern AU [5]
Category: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-14
Updated: 2013-05-14
Packaged: 2017-12-11 20:11:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/802741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>F'nor takes Lessa home, and they arrive to an untidy sight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Homecoming

F'nor assisted Lessa up in front of him on Canth's neck, two working flame throwers and all the Thread charts in panniers behind them. The brown rider smiled as Lessa gripped the riding straps ahead of her, nodding her readiness. It was good to meet Mainland humans who did not fear the dragons, even if Lessa was almost strikingly odd in how easily she took to them. 

"It's later than I meant to go back," Lessa said, noting the sun dipping down.

"It won't be as late to the west, and I'll be helping you save time by taking you adragonback," F'nor said in her ear. "You drew the mark of your runner for me; I'll be sure to drop at Fort after and have the beast's care forward to the next Lilcamp train."

"Thank you. He's a good one, Ruathan stock through and through." Lessa was proud of all the stock they'd liberated and managed to keep breeding in the high, hidden pastures of Ruatha and Nabol alike.

"Up we go… and remember, it's bitter cold, but only for three heartbeats." F'nor kept one arm around her waist as Canth took them aloft. She steeled herself for the darkness, not wanting to admit that it was far more terrifying than the bitter cold was bothersome. Caves like what they used were left empty because they weren't certain of staying open, and the Ruathans had lost some to cave-ins.

When the day's warmth and light filled out around them once more, high above the cold lake that Lessa had drawn for F'nor (never mind that Canth was looking at it in her mind), Lessa's breath caught, for there were signs of battle, here, too close to where a primary camp was.

"Danger lurks still…" F'nor said, even as he urged Canth down, away from silhouetting in the sky and more against the obscuring rock outcroppings. 

"My father will be near!" she told him, body taut with adrenaline.

F'nor gave Canth his head to choose where to land, and the brown did so, near to where four men were pressing in on a pair, one elder and one younger. Lessa was off the dragon like a shot, drawing the wherry-skinner from her belt as she ran to join, and F'nor, no coward, went to even the odds on her behalf. 

Lessa's attack was fast and silent, leaping into the fray with two slashes, one to either side, that allowed her to injure two attackers and slide into the midst of the defenders. Seeing that, F'nor opted to engage the one who fell back, having taken the first, harder slice dealt to him. He only wore his belt knife, but it was long and slender, plus his reach was greater than the one he faced.

Four on four were not odds the attackers cared to face, but once the defenders knew they had aid, and spurred on by Lessa's determined fighting, it took but a few moments work for them to take the upper hand, even relieving F'nor of his fight as the younger man, favoring Lessa, intervened there.

 _Do not mourn. They are tainted by the mind sickness,_ Canth told his rider as he saw not one of the four had been left alive. _Ugly darkness welling in them all, as if poisoned like the lost Weyrmen._

 _I wonder if any healer can ever remove such illness from man,_ F'nor sent back to his dragon with regret for the necessity.

"Lessa, I told you your brothers could handle the task of going for information!" the elder man was chastising. F'nor started to move forward to interfere, but Lessa gave a snort and he paused to see how she handled this.

"Well they could have, but I did and I've not only word of the dragons… they are real!" she said with a stab of her finger in Canth's direction. "But I also have brought machines that spit fire for our smithies, to fight the Thread when it comes, as well as maps to tell us when and where it will fall!"

"Fire-machines?" the younger man, Lessa's elder but obviously one of her brothers, questioned.

"Yes. They call them flame-throwers, and they use nothing more potent than agenothree." Lessa then drew herself up into that stately pose, looking back to F'nor. "Lord Kale, rightful heir of Ruatha, this is Brownrider, Wingsecond, F'nor of Benden, rider of Canth. I have secured aid in the form of goods and maps through his Weyr, in exchange for updated information of the holds that are still in wrongful hands."

"They mean to move on the boggarts that took our lands?" Kale asked, betraying neither desire nor antipathy for such a move.

"No, my father… the Weyrs mean to stay out of Hold affairs, unless the Holds attack them as they protect Pern. But they must know of coming threats, and the machines in the books we found could be such," Lessa said.

Kale nodded bluntly to that. "Well, it is best that way, for the Troubles began on dragonman greed."

F'nor stiffened, but it was truth. "My word, and the word of my Leaders: we seek to char Thread, and only ask enough tithe of the holds to feed man and beast during the Pass."

"Fair token for fair value," the brother said, reminding them he was there.

"F'nor, my father's heir, Kallain," Lessa introduced. She looked out, saw her people had gotten the battle well under hand. "Father, I will take F'nor to our cave, to meet mother, while you sort the battlefield."

"Of course, daughter." Kale reached his hand out, and F'nor took it firmly. "Do right by us, Brownrider, and Ruatha's rightful bloodline will do right by your Weyr."

"I intend to do just that, as Lessa has made it clear the Ruathan line is as noble and honorable as the harpersongs have always said."

Kale smiled on his daughter at that; it was the smile of an indulgent but proud father. "Aye, the Blood shines in her, like her brothers."

Lessa gave her father's cheek a kiss, then hugged her brother fiercely before she took F'nor's hand and led him to where her mother would be.


End file.
